A unique, participatory history lesson – developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers and educators – that fosters truth, understanding, respect and reconciliation among Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

Blanket Exercise

"The history I never learned"

Kairos

The Blanket Exercise is an interactive teaching tool developed by KAIROS (an ecumenical social justice organization) in consultation with Indigenous leaders to share the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. To learn more about the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, go to the website: kairosblanketexercise.org.

This website includes educator resources.

The Blanket Exercise youth script is geared for students grade seven through grade twelve. There is also an option for adult groups to participate in this experience using the full script.

The youth Blanket Exercise is a 90-minute program that will include an opening and closing ceremony led by an Elder, Knowledge Keeper, or Grandmother, a 45 minutes interactive teaching component, and includes a talking circle to help participants debrief from the experience.

The Blanket Exercise is offered ONLY as a Satellite option until the Spring of 2020 at which time we hope to have a facility that will allow groups of up to 100 to participate in an on the land Blanket Exercise.

The fee for coming to your community location is a flat fee of $300 that will cover up to 60 participants. A fee of $5 will be charged for each additional participant. There is also a $150 elder fee. The $150 fee is currently covered by an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant and will not be charged to your group.

Willowgrove received an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grow grant that started in November 2018. This grant allows us to develop an on-site, on land Blanket Exercise experience that will build on and be integrated into our many other Outdoor Education programs.

In compliance with the closure of all non-essential businesses, the Willowgrove office will be closed until further notice. These measures are being made in solidarity with province-wide efforts to minimize the spread of novel COVID-19.

All Willowgrove staff will be working remotely while the office is closed. While we will not be available to take any calls, we encourage anyone who would like to contact us to do so through email. If you are unsure who the best person is to contact, please email info@willowgrove.ca and your email will be directed to the correct person.